$30,000 Reward Offered for Killer of Dog Stabbed and Stuffed in Suitcase in Florida

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or PETA, is advertising a $30,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the killer of Ollie, a young pit bull mix found stabbed and stuffed in a suitcase in Hollywood, Florida last week. This reward includes $3,000 from Broward Crime Stoppers, $13,500 in anonymous donations (according to Broward Crime Stoppers), $10,000 from PETA and additional contributions reported by PETA. (Image: Courtesy of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals)

A reward of $30,000 is being offered to identify the killer of a dog who was found stabbed over 50 times, beaten and stuffed in a suitcase in Hollywood, Florida last week. The dog, an approximately 1 to 2-year-old brown pit bull mix who was named Ollie by rescuers, was found alive in the blue suitcase on Oct. 10 and taken to VCA Hollywood Animal Hospital. Veterinary staff and rescuers were optimistic he would survive, but he passed away on Oct. 13.

A Hollywood Police Department spokesperson told Forensic Magazine that Broward Crime Stoppers is offering a $16,500 reward for information leading to the arrest Ollie’s abuser or abusers. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, also known as PETA, announced in a release yesterday that they are offering to double their initial $5,000 reward in light of Ollie’s death, and that additional contributions bring the reward to a total of at least $30,000.

PETA also offered to fund a forensic investigation into Ollie’s death, including any potential analysis of hair samples, fingerprints and other evidence, according to the organization's statement. The Hollywood PD spokesperson said the department has a partnership with Broward Crime Stoppers but could not comment on or account for donations or offers made by PETA or other organizations.

A Broward Crime Stoppers poster offering a $16,500 reward, including $13,500 in anonymous donations, for information leading to the arrest of suspects in the case of animal cruelty against Ollie, a pit bull mix who succumbed Friday after being beaten, stabbed and stuffed in a suitcase in Hollywood, Florida last week. The reward expires Oct. 12, 2018. (Image: Courtesy of Broward Crime Stoppers)

Investigators said the dog was found at around 1 a.m. on Oct. 10 and that upon arrival, they heard the dog crying from the suitcase behind an abandoned building on Lee Street. (The suitcase and cries were first noticed by a passerby who then called police, according to the Sun Sentinel.) The dog was beaten and stabbed with lacerations on both the top of his head and his body. Ollie did not have a chip and was wearing a tagless red collar, according to police and Broward Crime Stoppers.

Grateful Paws Dog & Cat Rescue, a volunteer rescue organization in South Florida, started a GoFundMe fundraiser for Ollie’s medical care while helping to find him a foster home, before he passed away. Grateful Paws said on their website that Ollie was wagging his tail and appeared on the path to recovery while being treated at VCA Hollywood Animal Hospital, and that he had undergone several surgeries to treat over 50 stab wounds as well as beating injuries. The rescue also said that a necropsy, a veterinary term for autopsy, will be performed as the criminal investigation continues.

Over $40,000 was raised through the GoFundMe campaign, and the rescue says the money will go toward covering Ollie’s treatment and paying veterinary costs for other animals in need. The rescue said it received over 400 emails and 75-80 phone calls about Ollie, with support coming from the United States, England and Norway.

Experts in the evolving field of veterinary forensics previously toldForensic Magazine that animal abuse is frequently linked to domestic abuse and other forms of interpersonal violence. Rachel Touroo, a Florida forensic veterinarian, senior director of veterinary forensics at the ASPCA and former president of the International Veterinary Forensic Sciences Association, also told Forensic Magazine at the IVFSA conference this year that forensic veterinarians may collect a variety of valuable forensic evidence during medical examinations or necropsies of abused animals.

“It could be animal DNA, it could be human DNA,” she said. “You may be collecting human DNA, but then that would be turned back over to law enforcement to have hopefully the state lab to run that human sample.”

Hollywood Police officials had not yet responded to emails asking for forensic details about the case at the time of this publishing.